Congress Passes One-Week Spending Bill to Avert Government Shutdown

The Republican-led Senate has joined the House of Representatives in averting a government shutdown by funding most of the federal government for one week. The Senate approved the House’s Joint Resolution (HR Res 99) on a voice vote shortly after the House passed the Continuing Resolution on a 382 to 30 voice vote.

The CR, introduced in the House on Thursday, amends the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2017.

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The current CR was set to expire on Friday.

“There’s no Democratic objection,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told NBC News.”There’s still some to be negotiated” on a long-term deal, “but the negotiators were up ’til 1:30 last night … so certainly we’re willing to give it a few more days.”

“The short-term measure was needed after negotiations between the two parties in Congress and the administration on a long-term bill fell short of Friday’s deadline,” NBC reported on Friday.

“The CR also amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to extend through May 5, 2017, a provision that provides health care benefits for certain retired miners and their families,” the congress.gov website states.

President Donald Trump has until midnight tonight to sign the Continuing Resolution.